(2) IISS Shangri-La Dialogue: “A Regional Security Architecture Where Everyone Rises”--As Delivered by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Singapore, Saturday, May 30, 2015, US Department of Defense, May 30, 2015.
www.defense.gov/Speeches/Speech.aspx?SpeechID=1945
Quote:
(a) “the United States wants a shared regional architecture that is strong enough, capable enough, and connected enough to ensure that all Asia-Pacific peoples and nations have the opportunity to rise – and continue to rise – in the future. The United States wants a future in which an Indonesian fisherman, an energy executive from Malaysia, an entrepreneur from Singapore, a small business owner in California, and a Chinese businesswoman – just to name a few – have the security and opportunity to rise and prosper. And the United States wants to protect the rights of all countries, whether large or small, to win…to rise, to prosper and to determine their own destiny.
“To realize that future, the Asia-Pacific’s security architecture must be inclusive, it must be open, and it must be transparent. It must respect rights, and not just might. It cannot shy away from the hard issues…it must provide a forum to openly discuss the challenges we face, so that we can tackle them collectively. It must be action-oriented to help us manage today’s challenges and prevent tomorrow’s crises. And it must reward cooperation, not coercion.
(b) “Over the past 70 years, the Asia-Pacific has grown and prospered in so many ways…Miracle after miracle has occurred: first Japan, then Taiwan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, including Singapore, rose and prospered, and now, China and India are rising and prospering. * * *
“Meanwhile, the United States is doing well too. Following the worst recession since the Great Depression, the US economy has made great gains – in both jobs and GDP. Progress will continue because of America’s dynamic and innovative businesses, strong commitment to the rule of law, world-class universities, and the domestic energy revolution now underway. And the U.S. military, long the finest fighting force the world has ever known, has improved its readiness while maintaining its unmatched operational edge and unrivaled capabilities.
(c) “The rebalance enjoys strong, bipartisan support in Congress, as you can see from the large and distinguished Congressional delegation joining me here today. * * *
“It’s important to remember that America’s rebalance * * * has never aimed to hold any nation back or push any country down. The United States wants every nation to have an opportunity to rise, and prosper, and win…because it’s good for the region and good for all our countries.
(d) "As President Obama said in Brisbane last year, an effective security order for Asia must be based – not on spheres of influence, or coercion, or intimidation where big nations bully the small – but on alliances of mutual security, international law and international norms, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
"First, we must all reaffirm the guiding principles and the rules that have served this region so well. Disputes should be resolved peacefully…through diplomacy, not aggression or intimidation. All countries should have the right to freedom of navigation and overflight so global commerce can continue unimpeded. And all nations should be able to make their own security and economic choices free from coercion.
"These are the rights of all nations. They are not abstractions, and nor are they subject to the whims of any one country. They are not privileges to be granted or withdrawn by any country. These rules make sense: they’ve worked, and they can continue to help all our nations to rise – as long as we reinforce them instead of putting them at risk.
(e) "Second, we must strengthen regional institutions. * * * ASEAN will continue to be central to it. That’s why the United States and the Department of Defense are making an affirmative investment of time, resources, and engagement in ASEAN. * * * Third, America’s alliances and partnerships have been the bedrock of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific for decades. * * * Fourth, in addition to strengthening relationships, we must enhance the capacities of the regional security architecture, particularly on maritime security. * * * And fifth * * * we must be better connected. We can accomplish this by working together, communicating better, and developing habits of cooperation.
(f) "We’ve all benefitted from free and open access to the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca. We all have a fundamental stake in the security of the South China Sea. And that’s why we all have deep concerns about any party that attempts to undermine the states [sic] quo and generate instability there, whether by force, coercion, or simply by creating irreversible facts on the ground, in the air, or in the water.
“Now, it’s true that almost all the nations that claim parts of the South China Sea have developed outposts over the years…of differing scope and degree. In the Spratly Islands, Vietnam has 48 out…posts; the Philippines, eight; Malaysia, five; and Taiwan, one.
“Yet, one country has gone much further and much faster than any other. And that’s China.
(g) “As a Pacific nation, a trading nation, and a member of the international community, the United States has every right to be involved and concerned. But these are not just American concerns. Nations across the region and the world, many of you here in the room today, have also voiced the same concerns and raised questions about China’s intentions in constructing these massive outposts.
“So let me make clear the position of the United States:
“First, we want a peaceful resolution of all disputes. To that end, there should be an immediate and lasting halt to land reclamation by all claimants. We also oppose any further militarization of disputed features. We all know there is no military solution to the South China Sea disputes. * * *
“Second, the United States will continue to protect freedom of navigation and overflight – principles that have ensured security and prosperity in this region for decades. There should be no mistake: the United States will fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows, as US forces do all over the world. America, alongside its allies and partners in the regional architecture, will not be deterred from exercising these rights – the rights of all nations. After all, turning an underwater rock into an airfield simply does not afford the rights of sovereignty or permit restrictions on international air or maritime transit.
“Finally, with its actions in the South China Sea, China is out of step with both the international rules and norms * * * The United States will always stand with its allies and partners.
(h) “We come together on a daily basis to settle disputes, respond to crises, and prevent conflict. For example * * * And in the Indian Ocean, many nations, including China, are rooting out the scourge of piracy.
My comment:
(a) The speech is very, very long. There is no need to read the rest.
(b) Shangri-La Dialogue
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shangri-La_Dialogue
(held annually by an independent think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) [British; based in London and formed in 1958]; attended by military chiefs of 28 Asia-Pacific states. The forum gets its name from the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore [owned by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, based in Hong Kong and founded in 1971] where it has been held since 2002)
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发表于 5-31-2015 08:23:15
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